Piston



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT NITKA, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSINZ.

PISTON.

To all; whom. it may concern Be it known that I, ALBERT NITKA, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented certaln new and useful Improvements in Pistons; and I do hereby declar e that the following is a full, clear, an'dexact description thereof.

My invention relates to new and useful 1mprovements in pistons adapted for use in pumps, internal combustion and steam engines and has for its particular ob ect the provision of means whereby the diameter of the pistons may be varied tocompensate for wear. I

A secondary object is to provide means for readily adjusting the pistons without removing the same from their cylinders when the latter have removable covers.

A still further object relates to improvements in packing means for pistons of this 4 type.

With these general objects in View, the

invention relates to certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts which will be hereinafter more particularly described and claimed and shown in the drawing wherein:

Figure 1 represents a transverse sectional view through a piston constructed in accordance with my invention, said section being taken on the plane of the line X--X. of- Fig. 2, looking upwardly.

Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view through the improved piston, the section being indicated by the line Y-Y of Fi 1.

Fig. 3 is also a transverse sectional view on a plane of the line'X-X, but looking 1n the opposite direction from Fig. 1, and

Fig. 4 is an inner elevatlonal View of the improved piston expander.

Fig. 5 is a side elevational view of the piston with the expanding means in posltion.

Although the drawing illustrates the invention in-connection with a single acting piston for use in pumps and internal com: bustion engines, it is to be understood that the same may be incorporated in various types of pistons. Referring to the drawing more particularly, it will be seen that the piston includes the usual skirt 1, head 1, wrist pin bosses 9, and a wrist pin 8 held in the latter by a set screw or the like 10. As is customary the skirt 1 is provided with a Specification of LettersPatent.

Patented June 29, 1920.

J Application filed April 12, 1919. Serial No. 289,590.

ing a plurality of slits 14, the same being preferably arranged as shown in Fig. 1. As a result of this construction both the piston wall or skirt and the head 1 may be expanded by moving the walls of the skirt slit apart.

The preferred means which I use for procuring accurate and minute expansion of the piston is shown in elevation in Fig. 4, and includes a longitudinally tapered plate 4 arcuate in cross section and of a thickness substantially the same as the thickness of the skirt 1. Since this wedge member or expander 4 is adapted to be disposed between the walls of the longitudinal skirt slit, and as said walls are in radial planes extending from the center or longitudinal axis of the piston, the engaging walls of the plate 4 are inclined inwardly, thus making the inner surface thereof narrower than the outer surface which is flush with the similar surface of the piston skirt. By moving the wedge-shaped plate 4 longitudinally of the piston and toward its head, it will ,be seen that the cross sectional area of the piston will be increased, the amount of enlargement depending upon the distance which the ex anding member 4 is moved.

cans for causing movement of the plate 4 consists of a pair of ears 11 secured to the plate and a bolt 5 threaded through the opening of the ears and extended through a hole in the head 1, said hole being slightly larger than the diameter of the bolt. The

.end of the bolt adjacent the head 1' is proand consists of a sheet metal disk 2 of a diameter substantially equal to the normal diameter of the piston and has a laterally extending flexible collar 2 formed on its peripheral edge. This packing-member is held in position by a head plate 3 which in turn is secured to the head 1' of the piston by the bolt 5 and a supplemental retaining bolt 6. Rotation of both of the bolts is prevented by means of locking pins 7.

The packing disk 2 and the head plate 3 completely cover the end of the piston and therefore the slits 14 and they also overlie the skirt slit and the narrow end of the expander plate 4. As the piston becomes worn through use and the expander plate is moved outwardly, it will be seen that in time the narrow end of the latter plate will tend to project beyond the head 1'. Therefore to prevent interference between said expander plate and the packing disk 2, the former is provided with a plurality of transverse kerfs 15 at its narrow end so that as it is moved outwardly, the portion which projects beyond the head 1 may be broken off from the main part of the plate.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, it will be apparent that a piston has been devised which will readily carry out all of the objects and advantages as hereinbefore set forth. Various minor changes may be made in the form and proportion of the several parts of the invention without departing from or sacrificin any of the principles as is ontlined in the ollowing claims.

I claim:

1. A device of the class described comprising a piston having a head and a skirt, the head being expansile and the skirt being split longitudinally substantiall throu hout its length, a wedge member disposed etween the walls of the skirt split and movable to increase the diameter of the skirt and expand the head, and packing means carried by the head.

2. A device of the class described comprisin a one-piece piston having a head and a skirt, the skirt being split longitudinally substantially throughout its length and the head substantially diametrically, a wedge member disposed between the walls of the skirt split and movable to increase the diameter of the skirt and expand the head, and a packing member covering the split in the head to procure a fluid tight piston end.

3. A device of the class described comprising a piston having a head and a skirt, the skirt being slit throughout its length with the walls of the slit being converged toward one end, the" head being also slit, a packing member disposed over said head, a retaining plate secured to the head to hold said packing member in position, and a wedge member movably disposed between the walls of said skirt slit.

4. A device of the class described comprising a piston having a head and a skirt, both sald head and skirt being slit, means for expanding the skirt and head, a packing plate disposed over the split head and secured thereto, and a laterally extending flexible collar carried bv the packing plate and adapted to form a packing means for said piston.

5. A device of the class described comprising a piston having a skirt, the same being slit, a wedge member disposed between the walls of said slit, an ear carried by the wedge member, said ear being wider than said member and the slit to provide a pair of shoulders engageable with the inner wall of the skirt on each side of the slit therein, whereby to *position said wedge member in said slit, and-a bolt engaged with the piston and threaded through said ear.

6. A device of the class described comprising a piston having an expanding slit, the walls of the slit being in radial planes, a Wedge member disposed between said walls, said member being wider on its outer surface than at its inner whereby its walls will have flush engagement with the radially disposed walls of the slit, an ear carried by the wedge member, said ear bein wider than the wedge member and engaged with the inner wall of the skirt on each side of the slit therein, and means connected with said ear for moving the wedge member.

11 testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wiscousin.

ALBERT NITKA. 

